Canberra author raises armchair travel to an art form

CANBERRA author John Brookes is the quintessential armchair traveller — and he’s not ashamed to admit it.

John Brookes ‘travels’ in his armchair

Brookes, who moved to Canberra from Britain in 2012, has been travelling the globe by reading contemporary literature from each country, first mapping out a travel list of well over 270 destinations including every UN-recognised state and a few more.

The first volume of his unique travelogue came out last year and now he’s published the second year of his travels in book form.

As well, he had created a blog with reviews of each book, and an updated website detailing his journey at readingtheworld.co.uk

“In my book,” he threatens, “you will join me not just in a voyage through each country’s literature; but in interminable journeys in rickety buses, meandering river cruises through dense jungle, off road excursions in unofficial ‘taxis’ and numerous flights in planes of varying airworthiness.”

Brookes says he has several more volumes to come.

“Reading the World: A Global Journey through Literature volume 2”, now available through ACT Libraries and at amazon.com